Nike Missiles

[W. Gray]

"Four Nike missile bases ringing the Kansas City metropolitan area were operational Feb. 15. Armed with Nike-Ajax and Nike-Hercules missiles, the bases near Lone Jack and Lawson, Mo., and Fort Leavenworth and Gardner, Kan., went officially into service as a unit. About 500 men man the units on a 24-hour basis."

I thought this might interesting and copied the item from the 50 years ago column (February 1960) of my once hometown of Independence, Missouri, newspaper.

Oddly enough, these bases were proposed by the military in 1945. The Nike missiles were for defensive purposes against incoming enemy aircraft.

These were the only sites on Kansas soil but nationwide there were more than 100 sites with multiple bases and I believe they were operated by the Army.

[Diane Amberg]

I know our economy isn't really very good right now, but I didn't think we'd be reduced to throwing shoes at the enemy. 

[Dee Gee]

There was a lot of missile silos in Kansas, around Wichita, Salina & Topeka but I'm not sure what kind of missiles they housed, could have been Titans and Atlas.

[W. Gray]

There were eighteen Titan IIs ringed around Wichita (actually McConnell AFB) and one of them in 1978 near Rock was evacuated after a major refueling accident leaving the atomic warhead unattended and unguarded. I think a similar accident occurred in Arkansas.

There were nine Atlas missile silos surrounding Forbes AFB in Topeka.

These were ICBMs operated by the Air Force whereas the Nikes were defensive missiles operated by Army Air Defense Artillery, a different branch than that of the Field Artillery.

[twirldoggy]

Years ago there was an article in the Kansas City Star.  It was about a couple who had bought a missile silo and turned it into a home. No air conditioning was needed as it was so far underground.  The home was decorated beautifully .

[skbetts47]

I was a member of the MO Army National Guard and stationed at the Nike Hercules Missile Base in Lone Jack, MO 1963-1969.  Battery "B" 3rd Missile Batallion, 128th Artillery MO ARNG.